Ditto
by Veta
Summary: AU Highschool fic. NejiGaa Yaoi. Neji becomes Gaara's tutor, and soon discovers that they're more alike than he'd ever thought. As his feelings for Gaara deepen, the other boy can't seem to make up his mind. Is he being played?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** My second _Naruto_ fic, my first Neji/Gaara attempt. Flame appropriately!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Naruto_.

**Pairing:** Neji/Gaara

**Warning:** Yaoi/Slash/etc.

* * *

Neji pressed the round doorbell, hearing the sound echo throughout the house. Stepping back, he sighed and shifted the books in his arms. How did he get stuck doing this, anyway? Oh, right. 

**Flashback**

"Alright, class. Before you leave for the weekend, I have a favor to ask- Sabaku no Gaara is sick with mono. I need one of you to tutor him while he's out of school, since it's unlikely that he'll be back for a while."

Naruto jumped up, waving his hand wildly in the air.

"Kurenai-sensei! I'll do it, I'll tutor him!" Kurenai scowled in response, rolling her scarlet eyes.

"Naruto, you're on the verge of _failing _this class. How could you possibly tutor someone when _you_ can't even comprehend the material?" The blonde pouted as he dropped back into his seat, ignoring the delighted expression on a certain Uchiha's face. Kurenai scanned her eyes around the room and frowned.

"No one else?"

Tenten raised her gaze from the book hidden under her desk to look at her lab partner. "Why don't you do it, Neji? You and Shino have the highest grades in class, but I don't picture him as much of a tutor." She gave him a slight nudge. "Besides, you need to socialize more."

Neji closed his notebook, neatly placing his pen in his shirt pocket. "Tenten." His voice was calm, but final. "I have no interest in tutoring. I don't _like _to socialize- You know that."

"Neji? Oh, you'll do it? Excellent!" Kurenai flitted to their table with a triumphant grin, dropping a stack of papers in front of the startled Hyūga. "These are the notes and worksheets we've gone over during the past week. Hand them back to me next Thursday before the test."

"But-"

_RIIIIIIIINGGG. _

"Class is dismissed! Have a good weekend, everyone!" Kurenai grabbed her things, skittering out the door before any of the students had a chance. "Oy! Thanks again, Neji!"

**End Flashback**

Stupid Kurenai-sensei. She tricked him, knowing that he wouldn't simply ignore her wishes or clumsily 'forget'.

"So this is the punishment for being dependable," Neji grumbled, pressing the doorbell again.

"I'm coming, damn it! Don't you idiots have any patience!" The door was roughly yanked open, and a baffled, brown-haired man pulled a toothbrush out of his mouth with a soft 'pop'.

"What is it, kid?" He lifted the towel that was around his neck, wiping the paste from his lips. Neji resisted the urge to turn around and run far, far away.

"Is this the home of Sabaku no Gaara?" Trying his best to sound polite, he straightened his posture and gave the man a cool expression.

The man seemed surprised for a moment, but he soon pushed the door open more and stepped to the side. "Up the stairs, to the right. The _right_.Temari will have a fit if you accidentally go into her room." He shut the door behind the long-haired Hyūga, then shoved his toothbrush back into his mouth and began brushing fiercely as he wandered off down the hall.

Neji took a deep breath. Hygiene issues, perhaps? Shaking his head, he slid off his shoes and shifted to walk up the stairs, turning to knock on the door.

"It's open." He pushed open the door, though paused in the doorway.

"Gaara?" His voice was uncertain. The redhead was no where to be seen. Suddenly, said hair and a pair of mint green eyes appeared from behind what Neji assumed was the door to a closet.

"Hyūga Neji? What are you doing here?" Frowning, he shut the door, pulling on a dark shirt that matched his pajama bottoms. Neji lifted the biology books in his arms so that the other boy could see them.

"Kurenai-sensei sent me. She wants me to tutor you while you're sick."

Gaara's frown deepened. Neji, tutor _him? _No thanks. "Why didn't she pick Naruto?" A light bulb inside his head flickered on at Neji's 'Why do you think?' expression. "Oh.. right." He walked over to his bed, sitting and suppressing a yawn.

"Just leave the books here. I can figure it out on my own."

Neji dropped the books on the desk next to Gaara's bed, seating himself in the chair. "Idiot. What's the point in refusing help? I'm not going to go against her wishes just because of your egocentrism."

Gaara narrowed his eyes, and Neji immediately noticed the dark circles around them. Was that why he wore the kohl around his eyes at school? Glancing to the bed, the brunette noted that it was perfectly made, the sheets not even wrinkled. Didn't he sleep at all?

"You do know that mono is contagious, right?"

"It doesn't matter. I don't get sick."

Gaara scowled, and cast his eyes aside. When he said nothing, Neji took out a handful of papers from inside one of the books. "We're covering bacteria now. You need to copy these notes.." He pulled out another stack, consisting of less papers. "And complete these worksheets. Do that in your own time." Giving a sigh at the redhead's lack of enthusiasm, he cracked open the book and began to read the first section aloud. "Chapter 30. Bacteria are the most numerous organisms on Earth, as well as the most ancient.."

XXX

"I'll come again tomorrow, around noon. Try and get some of that work done by then." Neji hesitated, standing in front of the doorway with his back to the silent boy behind him.

"Oh.. and get some sleep."

With that, he disappeared out the door, and Gaara shifted to stare out of his window until he was certain that Neji had left the house.

Get some sleep? Easier said than done. Gaara fell back on his bed, arms crossed over his chest. Neji was so annoying. Egocentrism? What a hypocrite. Neji practically bathed in his own amazing-ness. Maybe a car would run him over while he was walking home.

Smiling at that thought, Gaara buried his face into a pillow and closed his eyes. Perhaps dreams could come true.

* * *

Gaara glared. Oh, did he glare. Neji did not get hit by a car. He probably didn't run into a tree or step in dog poop, either. 

Sigh.

The redhead narrowed his eyes more, and attempted to make a threatening growl like he'd heard Kiba do once before. Instead of cowering in a corner from fear, Neji raised a brow and said:

"Are you okay? Maybe you should get a glass of water.."

Growl attempt, failure. Double sigh.

"I'm fine. Let's go to the park today.. I've been inside too long." Gaara zipped up his jacket, stepping onto the porch next to the older boy when he had nodded his agreement.

"Have you finished any of those worksheets yet?"

Gaara locked the door.

"No." He walked down the steps, and Neji was soon next to him.

"No? It's already Sunday. What do you do, mope around all day?"

"Actually, I keep getting harassed by this ugly smartass who won't leave me alone. I tried to shoo him away with my negativity, but alas, his massive brain prevails."

Neji started to retort, but clamped his mouth shut. "Do you think we could at least _try_ to be civil to each other?"

"Do you think you could at least jump off a cliff and die?" Neji scowled. Guess that's a no.

Gaara slipped his hands into the pockets of his coat, diverting his eyes to the ground as they walked along. The wind picked up and blew his hair across his eyes, but he didn't seem to mind.

"You know, I've lived here since I was six, and I don't think we've ever said more than two words to each other before now." He didn't raise his eyes, but he knew the Hyūga was shrugging his shoulders.

"You always gave me evil looks. Why would I talk to you?"

"I was just making a statement. Besides, I give everyone evil looks," He pointed out. Neji frowned, and tossed a loose lock of hair over his shoulder.

"True." They both fell silent, until Gaara spoke up when they approached the park.

"So what's the lesson today, _Neji-sensei_ ?" He grinned slightly, but Neji only rolled his eyes.

"Pathology. Antibiotics, mostly; like penicillin."

"Boring." He sighed. "Why don't I just take the day off?" Neji shook his head. "No.. you need to be able to understand this material in time for the test."

"What if we make a deal? I'll do.. three of those worksheets tonight."

Pause.

"And a page of notes."

"Half a page?"

"No."

Cheapskate. "Fine. Three worksheets, _and_ a page of notes. Deal?"

"Deal. What do you want to do instead?" Gaara shrugged, sitting on an uncomfortable metal bench.

"Just relax, I guess." Neji sat beside of him, leaning his head back to watch the clouds. "Isn't your brother a senior? Why didn't he pick up your work for you?"

Gaara glanced over, and frowned. "He goes to a different school. He probably wouldn't do me any favors, anyway."

Neji quirked a brow, lowering his eyes for a moment. "What's that supposed to mean?" The redhead wrinkled his nose and shifted to stare off towards the playground. "Nothing, I-"

"Oy! Gaara!"

Great, it's Naruto..

Giving a small wave, Gaara looked to his companion, who seemed to be eerily calm.

"Hey, Gaara!" Naruto beamed down at the red-haired boy, hands on his hips. "Oh, Neji, you're here too?" He stuck out his lower lip in a pout. "Kurenai-sensei is cruel, isn't she?"

Neji raised a hand, pretending to inspect his fingernails. "Not really. She just doesn't like you." His lips twitched into a smile, and the blonde knew he was joking.

"Ah! Don't kid- all the teachers love me!" Naruto squeezed himself between the two, casually draping his arms around their shoulders. "So, are you guys studying, or what? I don't see any books anywhere.." Neji shrugged his arm off, and Gaara did likewise.

"We made a deal. I'm letting him off easy today." Naruto grinned, jumping back up. "Great! Let's all go eat some ramen!"

Gaara closed his eyes. "I'm not really hungry."

Neji hesitated, his pale eyes wandering to the redhead before returning to Naruto. "Me either. Sorry, Naruto. Maybe you could ask Sasuke or Sakura-chan.. ?" His voice trailed off, as Naruto was already walking away, slumping over in defeat.

Neji snorted at the dramatics.

"That Naruto.. In a weird way, he seems to bring out the best in people, don't you think?"

Gaara opened an eye, regarding Neji with a questioning look. After a moment, he sighed, letting the lid slide shut.

"Hmm.. I guess you're right. When I first met Naruto, he challenged me to a game of 20 Questions. I threatened to saw off his fingers and toes with a dull knife." He smiled faintly and allowed his head to lean on the back of the bench. "He was the only person who never took me seriously, even if I wasn't joking. It was refreshing.. normally, everyone would just run away. Naruto was different."

Neji arched a brow, watching the other boy curiously. "Why are you like that? …Violent?"

Gaara opened his eyes, resting them on Neji's ivory ones. "Just because you're my tutor, doesn't mean we're friends. Don't get involved with me."

XXX

"It's getting late. I'm sure your father will be worried if you're not back soon." Neji stood, stretching a little. The sun had already set. They'd sat there the whole day, mostly in silence. The pale boy was still somewhat shaken by the other's words. _Don't get involved with me._ The intensity in his eyes when he'd spoken was almost frightening.

Gaara inwardly laughed. Father, worried? Not likely… he'd probably be relieved, if anything. "He won't mind," He said simply. Neji reached back to redo his ponytail that had come undone.

"We could go get something to eat, then." Gaara shrugged, standing as well. Truthfully, he had grown quite hungry since Naruto had come by, which had been several hours ago. He crossed his arms, blowing a few strands of hair from his face.

"The Ichiraku ramen shop is nearby. Let's just go there." When Neji didn't complain, he started towards the shop with a sniffle. By the time he got home, it'd probably be dark. Good.

"Wait up!" Neji came up next to him and laughed softly. "Geez, are you hungry or something? I've never seen you walk this fast."

Gaara glanced over, surprised to hear him laughing. He'd never heard the Hyūga do that before. It wasn't irritating, like Naruto's laugh often was, but quiet and pleasant. It seemed like a natural thing for him to do, yet Gaara wasn't even aware that he was capable of doing it.

Neji's smile faded and a slight frown graced his lips. "Are you okay?" Gaara looked down and realized he'd stopped walking. What an idiot. Was Neji's laugh really that entrancing?

"Yeah.." He said slowly. "Just spaced out for a minute."

Soon they were sitting side-by-side at the ramen shop, both having ordered shoyu ramen. Gaara fiddled with his chopsticks as they waited, while Neji sat calmly with his hands folded across his lap.

"What about you?" Neji raised his head. "Huh?"

"Are you allowed to stay out as late as you want or something?"

Neji shrugged. "My uncle tells me to be home by ten, but he doesn't really care. If I come in any later, he'll only scold me and then forget about it by morning."

"How stupid." Gaara shook his head. "If you don't care about someone, then you shouldn't act like you do."

Neji opened his mouth to reply, but paused when their bowls were put before them. They both said 'Itadakimasu' in unison before the brunette continued.

"I suppose that's true. He's harder on Hinata because she is expected to outdo me in everything. It's almost like he's jealous of my father for having me, when he was 'stuck' (/air quotations) with her." He broke apart his chopsticks, attacking the noodles first.

Gaara sipped his soup thoughtfully, and Neji looked up to find the boy staring at him. He swallowed uncomfortably under the scrutiny. "What is it?"

"What? Oh.. I was just wondering- where's your father?" He regretted the question immediately. The look Neji gave him was the same look he'd given people when they'd asked about his mother. The look disappeared, leaving him with Neji's usual emotionless expression.

"He's dead." The dark-haired boy returned to his ramen, slurping the noodles rather loudly. Gaara set down his spoon and stared into his full bowl. He'd lost his appetite.

XXX

Neji waved goodbye to Ayame, stopping outside of the shop. Where'd Gaara go? His eyes adjusted to the darkness and he set out after the boy, putting his hand on his shoulder to stop him. "You couldn't even wait for me?"

Gaara glanced up, shrugging. "Your house is in that direction." He nodded back towards the shop. The older boy rolled his eyes. "So? I can't just let you go home alone. You could pass out and die or something."

"…"

"Okay, maybe not, but still.. You _are _sick. I want to make sure you get home in one piece."

"Right." He started walking again, and Neji fell into step beside him.

"I have a piano lesson tomorrow. I won't be able to come by after school." Gaara watched his feet and let out an uninterested sigh.

Neji pursed his lips. "Are you really going to do that work?"

Gaara looked up sharply. "I don't lie."

"I wasn't saying you do.." Gaara's gaze drifted back to the ground and Neji clenched the hem of his shirt. What was with him? One minute they're having an actual conversation, and the next he's giving him the cold shoulder. Neji bit his lower lip in dismay and stayed quiet until they walked up Gaara's porch steps.

"Well, I guess I'll see you-" The younger boy had already walked inside and had slammed the door in his face.

"Later.." Neji glared at the door, then turned and started the trek home.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

Here's Chapter 2! It starts off from after Gaara walks inside, so it's Sunday night.

Enjoy!

* * *

Gaara kicked the door to his room shut, hardly caring if he woke up every person in the house. He sat on his bed and pulled out a rectangular frame from beneath his pillow. Running his fingers over the glass, he stared at the photograph mournfully.

"Why did you have to go?" His hand tightened around the sheets of his bed. "Everything could have been different..."

"Gaara?" Temari's voice boomed through his door.

Scowling, he returned the picture to its spot just as his sibling entered the room.

"What do you want? I was getting ready to go to sleep."

She gave him a skeptical look, arms crossed before her chest. "I'm sure. Where have you been all day?"

"I was at the park, not that it's any of your business." His sister's expression relaxed and she took a step towards him.

"Gaara, when are you going to stop sulking and get over it? You can't stay this way forever."

"Shut up! Not everyone is a cold-hearted bitch like you, Temari." Well, _that_ struck a nerve. Giving him a sour look, Temari said nothing as she turned and left.

Gaara waited until he heard her own door slam shut before he pushed up the window beside his bed and crawled out onto the roof. It was his favorite spot, where no one could bother him. He would gaze at the stars all night, sometimes thinking and sometimes just enjoying the cool night air. Lying back, he tucked his hands behind his head and settled his eyes on the billions of twinkling lights.

* * *

Kurenai clicked her tongue as Neji walked into class early. He probably wanted to stop tutoring. When he approached the desk, she eyed him warily and set down her pen. "What is it?" 

The Hyūga hesitated, his colorless eyes darting uncertainly to the ceiling. Kurenai raised a brow. She had never seen the pale boy so nervous before. "Nothing. Good afternoon, Kurenai-sensei." He gave her a curt nod, not daring to meet her eyes as he moved to sit at his table.

_Nothing? _Neji closed his eyes as the other students began to file into the classroom. Had he really just _agreed_ to continue tutoring Gaara? Deciding to think about the situation rationally, he began forming a list in his head.

1.) I _want_ to tutor Gaara. Note the emphasis on 'want'.

2.) .. #1 is bad enough!

He groaned, dropping his head into his hands just as Tenten sat beside him. "Rough weekend?"

Neji lifted his head, and her chocolate brown eyes widened. "Whoa! I was just asking, you don't have to look at me like that.." When his head drooped back down, she patted his shoulder comfortingly.

"Was he really that bad?"

Neji sighed. "Yes. And no." She gave him a puzzled look, but before she could say anything else, Kurenai took her place at the center of the room and the class began.

XXX

The Hyūga remained irritated throughout the rest of whole class. He wasn't paying attention, no. Tenten would willingly lend him her notes, anyway. He was too preoccupied trying to think up an excuse that would justify the thoughts swimming around in his head.

Finally, before the last bell of the day rang, he had a revelation. He had told Gaara that he wouldn't be able to come today, right? Technically, that was _implying_ that he would be coming again. And he couldn't just lie, now could he? Nodding in approval at his (rather lame) explanation, Neji exhaled deeply in relief. He didn't _really_ want to tutor, he was simply fulfilling his promise.

..Right.

* * *

Gaara frowned when his doorbell rang two weeks later. Neji came over **_every goddamn day _**(or so it seemed), and he was getting tired of it.. That's what he told himself, at least. 

Upon walking down the stairs, he froze, finding his tutor talking rather animatedly to his brother. Scowling, he crossed his arms and coughed loudly. After a minute or two, Kankuro glanced over and narrowed his eyes. He muttered something to Neji, then grabbed his keys and walked out of the door in one fluid motion. He must have been getting ready to leave for work when Neji had arrived.

Once his sibling disappeared, Gaara turned to face the older boy before him. "What the hell was that?" He didn't notice the red object in the other's hand.

Neji raised a brow at the redhead's smoldering expression. "What are you talking about?"

"Why were you talking to my brother?" His eyes darkened. "I told you not to get involved with me. That includes my family, too!"

"What the hell? I come by to bring you soup," Neji waved the thermos in the air. "And this is how you show your appreciation?"

Gaara paused for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. "Why would I want your soup in the first place? You're a tutor, not a nurse. You probably poisoned it, or mixed rat blood into it."

Neji stared at him in disbelief. "Are you LISTENING to yourself? Why would I do something like that?"

"Because you're nuts, why else!"

"Oh yeah,_ I'm_ the crazy one." He replied sarcastically. Gaara narrowed his eyes so much that they hardly looked open, and Neji rolled his own. What the heck was his problem today?

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What do you _think _it's supposed to mean? You're-" Neji paused mid-sentence when the other boy blanched, grabbing the railing of the stairs behind him. "Hey, are you o- OOF!"

XXX

Gaara's eyes flickered open, closed, and opened again. His head was throbbing. What had happened? He started to sit up, but was promptly pushed back down.

"Don't get up yet. You'll pass out again." _Again? _He blinked a few times, his vision slowly coming into focus. Neji was seated beside of him on the couch in his living room.

"What happened?" Reaching up, he felt a damp cloth on his forehead and peeled it off.

"Well, you fainted, but somehow still managed to attack me," The brunette replied, pointing to his bruising forehead. Gaara felt his head again and found a similar injury. He must've collided right into him.

"You're exhausted," Neji continued. "I suppose I haven't been letting you rest enough. You need to stay in bed for a few days."

"What are you, a doctor?" Gaara shifted to sit up again, his voice a little bitter. He had not only fainted, but had seemingly fallen into the very person he was arguing with. How humiliating.

"Not yet." Neji gave him a small smile before standing, taking the cloth that had been carelessly thrown aside and placing it neatly on the coffee table.

"Do you think you can walk upstairs?" Gaara sneered at the question, standing up and teeter-tottering for a moment. The action had left him feeling extremely lightheaded.

Neji snaked an arm around the smaller boy, laughing softly. "Whoa, are you alright? You look kind of pale again.." He pushed back the hair that had been sticking to Gaara's wet forehead, afterwards feeling for a temperature. He withdrew his hand when Gaara slumped against him and mumbled something incoherent.

"What was that?" He frowned when the redhead's eyes slid shut, sighing as he hoisted him into his arms and carried him up the stairs.

"I should be getting paid for this.."

XXX

Soon, Gaara was neatly tucked in bed and Neji was sitting impatiently in a chair beside him. He had already shaken the boy several times, poured cold water on his head, and had even slapped him across the face. Well, maybe it was more of a light pat, but still. He would _not_ wake up.

Sighing, Neji leaned over and watched the unconscious figure below him. He looked so.. vulnerable,his lips slightly parted and a faint flush tinting his cheeks. Neji ran his fingers over the crimson tattoo that marred the younger boy's forehead. What was it supposed to mean? He'd noticed it before, but had never quite thought about it until now.

He didn't notice when Gaara's eyes opened and watched his every move. Nor did he notice that Gaara's breath hitched when he brushed his thumb across the kanji.

Gaara eventually grabbed Neji's wrist, yanking it away. "What are you doing?" Alarmed, the brunette stood and walked backwards, accidentally knocking over the chair. "Wh-what? When did you wake up?" Gaara rolled his eyes and sat up, rubbing his forehead and absently wondering why his hair was soaking wet. "Just now." He paused, frowning. "Did I pass out again?"

Neji took a deep, calming breath before nodding. "Y-yeah.. You shouldn't have stood up so fast." He rubbed the back of his neck, picking up the fallen chair. "Are you alright now?"

"Fine, fine." He waved his hand dismissively in the air and settled back against his pillows. "Are you going to stay and bug me all day, or are you actually going to let me rest?"

"Oh, uh.. I guess I'll just leave, then," Neji said awkwardly, heading for the door. "Don't get out of bed!" He called as he walked out, scurrying down the stairs before Gaara could object.

XXX

The front door closed, keys rattled, and feet shuffled against the floor. Gaara sat up in bed, swinging his legs over the side. Kankuro was home.

When the footsteps resounded against the wooden floor outside his door, Gaara got up and opened the door to face his brother's retreating back. "Kankuro?"

Kankuro stopped, but didn't turn around. "What do you want?"

"What were you talking to Neji about earlier?"

"Eh? Oh.. He was asking if you were allergic to anything because of a soup he made or something." He shrugged his shoulders, going into his room when the younger of the two said nothing else.

Gaara leaned against the frame of his door and closed his eyes. He'd gotten all worked up because Neji was trying to make sure he didn't accidentally kill him? The redhead banged his head against the woodwork before turning back into his room.

"I'm such an idiot."

* * *

"_Now _who's here? I swear, if that Naruto rings the doorbell one more time..!" Temari pulled open the door, pausing when she realized it was Neji, and not Naruto before her. Nonetheless, her expression darkened. "**_YOU!"_**

Neji stumbled backwards in bewilderment, putting up his hands in defense. "Wha?"

"Who do you think you are, coming here after confining my little brother to bed? I'll have you know that _I'm_ the one stuck taking care of him, meaning _I_ have to put up with his constant whining and bickering! So what do you want, huh? HUH?"

Neji stood frozen with his mouth agape, either paralyzed with fear or trying not to wet his pants.

"I-I.."

"You what? SPEAK UP, YOU LITTLE-"

"Temari!" Gaara appeared behind her, arms crossed over his chest. "What the hell are you doing?"

Said blonde jumped, whipping around and giving him an innocent look. "Gaara, I was just-"

"Shut up." He shot her a glare, making her hands fly up much like Neji's previously had. "I don't _need _you to baby-sit me. You're just using it as an excuse to get out of work." Temari inched backwards nervously. "Really, Gaara, that's not what I'm doing.."

"Just go away." She sighed and walked off down the hall, leaving Gaara to face the still rather shaken Neji.

"Sorry about that." Neji shook his head quickly, stepping forward after realizing he'd still been rooted to the same spot.

"Oh, ah, that's fine.. I- wait, why are you out of bed?"

Gaara shrugged casually. "I heard the doorbell ring and came downstairs before Temari could scare you any more than she already did." Walking out onto the porch, he looked the brunette over with a frown. "What're you doing here, anyway?"

"I wanted to make sure you were doing okay," Neji admitted. Gaara smirked and shut the door to the house. "Worried about me, huh?"

Neji snorted, looking away. "I wouldn't call it _worried.._"

"Sure, whatever." Gaara sat down on the steps, rolling his eyes at Neji's expectant look. "What?"

"Well? Are you feeling better?"

"Does it look like I'm going to drop down dead any time soon?"

"No.. unfortunately," He mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing.. Nothing at all."

* * *

Ta-da! Sorry this chapter is a bit short, but it's better than nothing! .. Right?

Well, thanks for all of your reviews! Oh, especially Naitachal666! Your flame was very appropriate, indeed. Oh, and the man with the toothbrush was supposed to be their father, but I could have made that a bit more clear.. heh.

Another thing: If you're wondering, Neji's forehead is tattoo/seal-free. The whole head family/branch family thing doesn't go into play with this story, so it wouldn't really fit to have him randomly tattooed.

Thursday starts my summer break, so expect updates to come more frequently.

Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Please scroll to the bottom for my apologies regarding the immense lateness.

* * *

Neji shifted onto his stomach and sighed into his pillow. The room was silent except for the violent pounding of the rain against the windows. Such gloomy weather suited his brooding mood. 

Sure, Neji was typically a touchy kind of guy, but no one had ever seen him so testy, vulgar and downright psychotic. Two days ago, he was still his normal Neji-like self. Then _that_ happened.

xxx

**_Two Days Ago:_**

"Chocolate Supreme! Three scoops!"

"Don't you think that's a little much, Naruto?"

"Speak for yourself, teme! What kind of a man can't handle a little ice cream?"

"I was referring to the amount of sugar, dobe. You're hyper enough as it is."

"What did you call me?"

"Dobe. Dobe, dobe, dobe."

"Teme..!"

"Oy! Get off of me!"

"Naruto! Leave Sasuke-kun alone!"

"Sakura-channnn! He started it!"

"..you okay? That stupid Naruto.."

"Hey, sorry we're late."

"Yo, Neji. Don't you think three scoops is way too much for Naruto?"

"Why, can't you handle a little ice cream?"

"See, someone agrees with me!"

"I think he meant that Naruto shouldn't have so much sugar."

"Oh, well if you put it that way.."

Naruto sighed in exasperation. Everyone was against him, weren't they? Sitting on a bench with a sour expression, he angrily attacked the ice cream cone in his hand. The rest of the group stepped up to buy their ice cream, and upon turning around afterwards found themselves watching Naruto munching on the last bit of the cone.

"What the- you already ate it?" Sasuke frowned in disapproval, brows knit together like always.

Naruto glanced up, wiping his fingers clean on a napkin. "Huh?"

Gaara stared at the blonde boy with an expression of disbelief and awe. "He can eat it that fast and not get a brainfreeze? I wonder if that's considered an elite skill somewhere.."

"I doubt it." Neji took a seat and closed his eyes to fully enjoy the cold treat. He completely blocked out the voices around him, savoring the milky taste. He hadn't had ice cream in so long..

"What the hell are you doing! You already had yours!"

"So? Just let me have half of it.."

"No! Get away from me!"

"Why don't you just buy another one, Naruto?"

"I don't have anymore money, and- argh, damnit! I only want a little bit!"

"Naruto, what're you-"

Splat.

Neji opened his eyes and lowered his ice cream from his mouth.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

An awkward silence filled the air as Neji lifted his hand and removed the cone from atop his head. He blinked as the chocolate ran down his face, his hair, his shirt. Naruto backed away and Sasuke coughed nervously into his hand. Just as Sakura opened her mouth to no doubt make a loud, scolding remark, Gaara teetered backwards and burst out laughing.

Under normal circumstances, Neji probably would have joined in when Naruto and the others began laughing as well. But this.. wasn't normal. Gaara laughing heartily was certainly not normal. He'd already forgotten about the ice cream; that wasn't important. The redhead before him was still at it, a hand pressed over his chest in an attempt to calm his rapidly beating heart. Neji's eyes refused to leave him as he sat down, reaching up to wipe off Neji's face.

"It really went everywhere," Gaara commented with an amused grin. The long haired Hyuga found himself unable to move as the shorter boy continued to mop up the mess with a handful of napkins.

Naruto chuckled uneasily at Neji's blank expression and reached back to tug a lock of hair. "Sorry, sorry.. you aren't mad, are you?"

"Of course he's mad, you idiot. Not to mention you owe me money for that ice cream now."

"Eh?"

"Really, Naruto! Don't you ever think before you do something?"

"..Not really."

xxx

Neji had eventually stood and stormed away, leaving the rest of the group completely mystified. When he had walked home and gotten into the shower, all he could think about was that captivating laugh. It had been nearly two months since he had started tutoring Gaara, and despite the frequent bickering, they'd somehow managed to become friends. Yet, even as friends, he'd never seen the redhead laugh quite like that. The sincerity, and the smile afterwards.. all of it had left Neji aghast. Not just the laugh, not just the smile, but the way he didn't want it to stop; the way breathing suddenly became a forced task.

"Damnit." Neji sat up, rubbing his forehead. Every time he tried to figure out _why_ he was so agitated, the answer was always something he didn't want to accept. Ever.

He glanced to the digital clock on his nightstand and found himself wishing he hadn't wasted away the day sulking in his room. It was already six, meaning the weekend was almost over. Meaning tomorrow, he'd have to go to school. Oh, how wonderful life can be.

"Maybe I'll just skip tomorrow," The troubled teen decided aloud. A knock on the door jerked him out of his thoughts. Naruto _again_! Hadn't he told everyone to stop letting him in the house? Clambering out of bed, he unlocked the door and whipped it open. "What the hell are you-"

"Yo."

Gaara.

Neji took a step back in surprise. Gaara simply walked past him and dropped onto the older boy's bed.

"Why haven't you been coming over? I had some questions about Friday's test." He scooted backwards until he could lean comfortably against the wall. When Neji said nothing, he rolled his eyes and glanced in his tutor's direction. "You're not still mad about the ice cream thing, are you?"

"I was never mad." Scowling, Neji shut the door and leaned against it with his arms crossed. Who did Gaara think he was, strutting into his room like that? What nerve.

"Then what the hell is your problem?"

"Who said I have a problem?"

"Well, you've been sitting in your room for the past two days, yelling and cursing at whoever comes over.. Are you trying to say you _don't_ have a problem?" He continued on when Neji failed to respond. "It doesn't matter what the problem is, just get over it. You're bad enough being a conceited prick. This whole pouting thing doesn't work for you."

"I'm not pouting! And who are _you_ to call _me_ a conceited prick? Tch! Get out of my room!" As soon as he opened up the door, Gaara calmly walked out, though Neji didn't miss when he muttered 'Gladly' on his way.

* * *

"Ohayo!" 

Neji lifted his head as Tenten sat beside him, placing her books on the desk. "Ohayo," He greeted. After Gaara had stopped by the night before, he had seemingly gotten over his foolishness and decided to forget about the weekend's events.

"What happened this weekend? I tried calling, but your uncle said you weren't taking any calls."

"Nothing.. I just.. felt sick or something, I guess." He ignored Tenten's skeptical look and heaved a sigh. "Tenten.. Do you think I'm conceited?"

"Who, you? Nooo, of course not!"

"Thanks, I-" Neji stopped when he looked up and realized she was smirking. What the.. Here he was, being serious, and she decides to be sarcastic.. Gee, thanks a lot, 'friend'.

"I'm just joking," She shook her head slightly, laughing at his pathetic expression. "You aren't conceited. Maybe a little antisocial, but that's it."

"Oh."

Tenten leaned towards him, brown eyes wide with curiosity. "Why, what happened?"

Neji hesitated, wondering if he could really confide in her. "Gaara.." He started, avoiding her gaze. "He came by to check on me last night, but we ended up fighting and I kicked him out."

"You should apologize to him," She decided immediately. "Right after school."

"What- ? You don't even know what we fought about! What if he had threatened to murder me in my sleep or something?"

"Did he?"

"Well, no... But that's not-"

"Then you need to apologize." Tenten nodded sagely, patting his hand reassuringly. "Everything will work out if you do what I say."

Neji rolled his eyes, resting his chin in his hands. "You make it sound as though we're in a relationship or something."

"Aren't you?"

"I- you- what! No!"

"You aren't friends?"

"...Eh?"

"Aren't you and Gaara friends?"

"Oh.. Yeah. Friends."

* * *

Neji adjusted the bag on his shoulders, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He'd walked to Gaara's house straight from school, having to cancel his piano lesson to do so. As he stood facing the white door, memories of his first visit caused the corners of his mouth to twitch upwards into a smile. Back then, he'd been annoyed that Kurenai-sensei had picked him of all people to tutor the rude, short-tempered redhead. Now, he was desperately hoping the younger boy wasn't too upset with him. 

"Cominggggg!"

That voice.. Suddenly, Neji began to feel uneasy. That voice could only belong to one person: Temari. Just as he began contemplating whether or not to jump and hide in the bushes while he still had the chance, the door creaked open and a tall boy with a bored expression stood eyeing him warily.

"Who're you?"

People sure like making friends these days, don't they?

"Hyuga Neji. And you are?"

The boy leaned heavily on the door, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Shikamaru. You're the guy tutoring Gaara, right?"

"That's right."

"Did I hear someone say Neji?" Temari popped up next to Shikamaru, her hands resting on her hips. Flour covered the apron she wore, and various puffs of white were visible among her arms, face, and hair. "Oh, it _is_ you. Would you like to try my strawberry eel cake?"

_Strawberry EEL cake? _What is _with_ this family!

"... No thanks. I'm only here to see Gaara."

"Well, he's been in bed sleeping all day. He had a high fever last night, but he still walked _all the way _to your house since _you_ weren't coming over. Not that it's your fault, or anything."

Sweatdrop.

Could she be any more evil?

"I see. I'll come by tomorrow, then." Neji turned and walked down the steps, trying to ignore the feeling of guilt that began settling in his stomach. In bed for the whole day? Was he getting worse? The long-haired boy reached back to rub his neck worriedly. Gaara _had_ been pretty sick the past week.. Going out for ice cream on Friday was supposed to be a big thing- And he'd ruined it. Uncharacteristically smacking himself on the forehead, Neji silently swore and mentally kicked himself.

"Maybe I really am a conceited prick.."

xxx

"Don't you think that was a little harsh?" Shikamaru watched as his blonde friend smiled sadistically while shutting the door. Mental note: Wrath of a woman equals: Bad, very, very bad.

"He should have tried my cake." She started for the kitchen, pausing when Gaara descended the staircase.

"Who was that?" Gaara gripped the railing tightly. His muscles ached, his head felt heavy, and he was hardly able to stand. Being sick really had it's 'perks'..

"Neji. I sent him home since you need some rest."

The redhead scowled and started to make some murder-based threat, but decided against it when he realized that he really did need to just take it easy for a while. He sighed and turned to go back up the stairs, pausing to glance back and eye his sister's questionable appearance. "If you're doing 'that' again, I'm not eating it."

Temari raised a brow, crossing her arms. "What do you mean, 'that'?"

"You know, where you mix a bunch of disgusting things together and try to insist that it's edible when the neighbor's dog passes out from the stench."

".. Jerk."

* * *

"Just a little more.. Whoa, look at all those juices spewing out. Cool! Alright, just crack the skull and- PIG BRAIN!" Naruto held up the gooey object in triumph and grinned widely. 

"I find it a little disturbing that you're enjoying this, Naruto." Neji reached up to wipe his forehead against his arm. Dissecting a pig was definitely _not_ on his 'Things to do before I die' list.

"How can you say that? You're the one who wants to be a doctor," He pointed out, setting the brain next to the other various things they'd removed.

"A psychologist doesn't have to dissect things, idiot."

"Oh, right."

Neji peeled off his gloves, letting the other boy clean everything up. The good thing about Naruto's enthusiasm was that they were able to finish the assignment in one day. Dissecting would probably be one of the things Gaara would be good at..

Great. Thinking about him again.

The Hyuga hunched his shoulders and let his head droop in shame. Thinking about him this much _had_ to be wrong. "There has to be something wrong with me.."

"Eh? What's wrong with you?" Naruto dropped into the chair beside him and quirked a brow. "Don't tell me you're going to puke or something."

Neji frowned and continued to stare at the tiled floor. "No, it's not like that.. Naruto, have you ever found yourself thinking about someone _all the time_?" He glanced up when Naruto started to grin again, backing up his chair a bit. "What?"

"So you've got someone you like, huh?"

Like?

_Do I like him?_

"Do you think that's what it is? That I like them?"

"Well, I suppose you know that you like them if you want them to be happy and you want them to like you. When you'd rather stand butt-naked in Antartica than go a day without them.." Neji resisted a smile as Naruto got a wistful look in his eye.

"That's an interesting way of putting it."

"Well, I'm not good at coming up with cheesy lines like that." Naruto shrugged his shoulders, reaching over to pat his friend's back comfortingly. "Either way, you shouldn't get so worried about it."

Neji shook his head, laughing softly. "How is it that you're a dunce any other time, but when someone needs you, you know just what to say?"

"It's part of my charm." He smirked, then glanced down at his hands and frowned. "Oh, whoops. I forgot to take my gloves off.. Now you have pig guts smeared all over your back."

"...**_NARUTO!_**"

* * *

Gaara opened the door, lifted a brow and stared. "Why are you standing wet and half-naked on my doorstep?" 

Frowning, Neji stepped past him into the house. "We had to dissect pigs in Biology, and Naruto accidentally wiped pig goo on me. Then of course, it started to rain while I was walking here, since apparently having a dead animal's guts wiped on me isn't enough of a punishment for being a conceited prick."

"Ahh, so you've finally realized the truth.." Gaara shut the door and turned to face his friend with a grin that quickly faded away. "I thought we weren't dissecting pigs until the end of the year.. I was looking forward to it."

"I knew it," Neji murmured to himself. "She said that she wanted to get it out of the way since it was a big project... That way, we can just do nothing for the last few days of school."

Gaara headed down the hall, fetching a towel from the dryer and tossing it towards the brunette. "Right.. she probably just doesn't want to have to do any grading during the last week."

Neji shrugged, drying off and afterwards towel-drying his hair. "Well.. Are you feeling better today?" He draped the towel across his neck, rubbing the chill from his arms.

"Somewhat." He disappeared into the laundry room again, returning with some dry clothes. "Here. They might be a little small since they're mine, but I think they'll fit better than Kankuro's."

"Thanks.." Neji went into the bathroom he was directed to, stripping off his wet clothes and redressing in the warm pajamas that he'd seen Gaara wear so many times before. Something about the fact that he was wearing Gaara's clothes made him feel slightly giddy.

After stepping outside and placing his things by the door, he followed the drone of the television into the living room to find Gaara sprawled on the sofa. Dropping into an unoccupied chair, the tall teen jerked back in revulsion when one of the characters shot his own severed hand with a shotgun, resulting with blood spraying everywhere.

"What the hell are you watching!" Gaara chuckled in amusement when the same character began laughing with (yes, _with_) random objects in the room.

"The Evil Dead 2. Haven't you seen it?"

"...No." Wow, he'd thought Gaara was a bit strange, but this was just plain weird.

Coughing into his hand, Neji tore his eyes from the screen and focused on the reason he'd gone there to begin with. "Do you think you could turn it off for a minute?"

"What for?" Gaara held the remote protectively against his chest as if he expected Neji to leap out of the chair and steal it.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you.." The redhead clicked the 'mute' button and shifted to better see his guest.

"I'm listening."

Neji leaned forward and rested his arms over his knees, clasping his hands together. "About this weekend.. I'm sorry. I overreacted on Friday, and-"

"Don't worry about it." He pressed the mute button again, tucking a pillow behind his back. "We all do that sometimes. It's probably stress from school or something."

"Yeah.." Neji blinked in disbelief, completely bewildered. That wasn't the reaction he'd expected at all. Was this why he liked him so much? Gaara always seemed to be full of mysteries and surprises. As he watched the younger boy laughing at the film, he felt a smile creep its way onto his face. He certainly wanted Gaara to be happy, and he certainly wanted to be liked. If feeling that way made him this happy, there's no way it could be wrong.

* * *

**A/N:**

Yay, Neji has admitted his feelings! Aren't you happy and excited? This chapter was mainly about Neji, so that's why Gaara only has short appearances. Oh, and I'm fairly certain all of the characters are OOC. Oh well. XD Don't hate.

Wow, I basically suck. It's been, what, a month and a half? XD I'm really, REALLY sorry. I have no excuse. Seriously, all I was doing was watching anime. Oh, but these past few weeks I've actually been busy (honestly). Sooooo.. I hope you forgive me. I was in a bit of a slump, but yay, I'm out! -does a dance-

Ahem.. July 3rd was me and Neji's birthday! Happy birthday to us!

Alright, since I was originally going to make this chapter longer, I already have the next chapter pretty much laid out in my head. Therefore, you can HOPEFULLY (I'm not making any promises here, people!) expect an update by next week.

Anddddd.. HOLY CRAP. Thanks for all of your lovely reviews. I truly appreciate it! Oh, and feel free to make death threats so that I'll update. Just don't be scary, or else I'll cry.


	4. Chapter 4

Gaara rubbed his sore throat, setting down his pen and shutting the heavy calculus book before him. Neji had taken it upon himself to bring him the homework from his other classes as well, so whenever he wasn't half-dead from exhaustion, he had lots of work to keep him busy. Why was he taking pre-cal as a first-year anyway?

"Thank God it's almost summer break," He muttered to himself. Hopefully, he'd be able to recover a few weeks before finals so that he'd actually be able to catch up and understand the material.

_Buzzzz._

Jumping up, Gaara stared in shock at the spot where his desk had suddenly begun vibrating under his arm. He cautiously leaned forward, opened the drawer… and saw his cell phone flashing.

"Stupid thing." He picked it up, checking the caller ID and frowning. _Neji.. why is he calling at midnight? Bastard, bugging me this late at night.._

"What d'you want, Hyuga?"

"Gaara.. I told you to call me Neji."

"Just because you insist that we're friends doesn't mean that I believe you."

"You're just mad because I gave you all that extra homework." _No duh._

"…"

"Gaara?"

"What, was I supposed to disagree?"

"No.."

"Why are you calling me, anyway?" Gaara flopped down onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep was looking pretty appealing right now.. His body still burned with fever, but the fatigue wasn't as bad- a sign that he was getting better.

"To see if you were still up. You should be sleeping by now."

".. You called just to see if I was awake? What a stupid thing to do."

"Well, I don't want you overexerting yourself.."

"Right, so you just gave me all that homework to keep me company? You enjoy watching me suffer, you little sadistic- Hey, stop laughing! I'll go over there and kick your sorry ass, I swear.."

"Heh.. Sorry."

"Yeah right." The redhead pursed his lips and turned to gaze out his window, contemplating whether or not to crawl out onto his roof. With his luck, he'd probably trip and fall to his death.

"So, what're you doing? I find it hard to believe you're actually doing the work I gave you."

"For your information, I already did the math **and** English assignments. All I have left is history, but I'm too tired to finish it tonight."

"Oh, are you going to bed?"

"No.. I think I'm going to watch the stars for a while."

"..The stars? Why?"

"Because I want to. Is that a problem?"

"Not at all.. Geeze, why are you so harsh? Someday someone's going to beat the shit out of you for being such a smartass."

"If you're only going to criticize me, I'm hanging up."

"Hey, I'm just telling the truth."

Click.

Gaara tossed the phone towards the end of his bed and closed his eyes. "Who does he think he is? I may be a smartass, but at least I don't think I'm better than everyone else… Bastard." He snuggled beneath the blankets, ignoring the phone when it started vibrating again. "When I'm better, I'll definitely kick his ass."

xxx

Neji set his cell phone aside and frowned. _He actually hung up on me.. _

He settled back against the pillows, grinning despite the situation. "I still got to hear his voice before I went to sleep.."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Oh, look who it is. The critic. Or are you a psychiatrist today? I'm pretty sure my regular shrink is working just fine, thank you."

"Cut it out, Gaara." Neji rolled his eyes as he stepped into the house, taking off his shoes and hanging up his coat. "You didn't have to get so mad. How can I know when you're taking me seriously if you laugh at something one day, and get upset about it the next?"

"Well, you could just try being nice for a change," Gaara replied, narrowing his eyes. "It's not like there's a rule somewhere that you have to be a jerk 24/7."

"Not that you know of," The elder pointed out, sliding his hands into his pockets. "On a lighter note, it's Saturday, meaning I'm not going to harass you about doing your work. What do you want to do?"

"Rest. I have a migraine like you wouldn't beli-" Gaara froze when Neji pressed a hand to his forehead, the palm cool against his scalding skin. He leaned into the touch, closing his eyes as relief washed over him. It felt so good..

"Erm.." Neji cleared his throat, pulling his hand away in surprise. "You still have a fever.. Go lay down and I'll make you something to eat."

Gaara slowly turned, his eyes widening in panic. He ran up the stairs, tripping over one or two on his way. "What the heck was I doing? He probably thought I wanted to make love to his hand or something!" His pace slowed as he replayed what he just said in his mind. "Actually, that probably wouldn't be too bad.."

xxx

Neji slammed his fist onto the counter, inhaling sharply. "What was he _doing?_" He wondered aloud. His mind was reeling.. Gaara had been so close, all he would have had to do was lean forward a little and-

"No! Bad… bad thoughts.." He slumped against the refrigerator and attempted to recollect himself, brushing a few nuisance strands of hair from his face. Next time- if there _was_ a next time- he just might not be able to control himself.

xxx

"Geeze, did you take long enough?" Gaara gave the brunette an annoyed look as he entered the room, sitting up a bit in bed. He gawked when Neji placed a tray over his legs, for it looked- and smelled- like misonikomi udon.

"You made this?"

Neji nodded, propping his feet up on the bed. "I saw the noodles and figured I might as well use them. It's a bit plain, though.." He paused, arching a slender brow at Gaara's flushed face.

"What is it? Don't tell me you don't like miso.."

Gaara shook his head quickly, looking up at his tutor with wide eyes. "No, I do! I've just never had a homemade meal that looks so.. edible." He chuckled at Neji's blank look, picking up his chopsticks. "Never mind. Itadakimasu!" He tried the noodles, deemed them as positively delicious, and immediately fell in love upon tasting the soup.

"How in the world did I ever live without you?" Neji started to reply, but stopped when he realized Gaara was talking to the _food._ Not just talking to it, but cuddling and caressing the bowl.

"Gaara, if you continue to do that, I'm never going to cook for you again. It's embarrassing." The redhead gasped in horror and moved to set the bowl down as quickly as possible, deciding against it when he caught sight of Neji's pouty frown and furrowed brows. "Well, well, well.. Are you _jealous_ of a _bowl_, Hyuga?"

Neji's jaw dropped at the ridiculous, but miraculously true accusation. "I- of course not!" He fumed, ivory eyes narrowing dangerously. Gaara placed the bowl on the tray and laughed loudly, wiping his eyes when tears began to form. "Oh… You really are… jealous.. of a bowl!" He burst into giggles once again, only stopping when Neji smacked him upside the head.

"I said I wasn't jealous, you moron! What kind of a pathetic person would be jealous of a bowl?" His eye twitched when Gaara murmured something that sounded suspiciously like 'You, apparently.'

"I'd just.. Like some appreciation, that's all." He finally said, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away. Gaara fought not to snicker, instead patting Neji's arm comfortingly. "Come on, Neji.. I couldn't live without you, either." He blinked when Neji suddenly started to blush, the pink color even spreading to his neck.

"..Are you okay?"

Neji turned to look at him, his expression a mixture of shock and bliss. "Say.." He cleared his throat, trying to make his voice come out a little clearer. "Say it again.."

Gaara stared at him in confusion. "Say what?" What had he said? _Come on, Neji.._ **Neji!** Ah, he'd said his name! That was the first time he'd ever called him by his first name, wasn't it? Gaara blushed himself at the thought, but quickly willed it away. He leaned towards the older boy, keeping a teasing distance between them.

"Neji.." He whispered, his voice husky and laced with _want_. The addressed teen stared at his pink lips and half-lidded eyes, and unconsciously started forward to close the distance between them.

"Goddamnit, Gaara! I was going to make udon tonight!" Temari burst through the door, just as Gaara and Neji separated as quickly as possible. Gaara pressed his back to the wall, a blanket pulled up to his neck as Neji slid his chair backwards across the floor, leaving black skid marks from the movement.

"…What the hell? You guys weren't making out or something, were you?"

Neji's skin somehow became a shade paler, whereas Gaara was slowly turning into a tomato. Temari wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Ew. I'm not going to wash your sheets anymore, Gaara." She turned to walk back into the hall, shutting the door behind her.

"…" Gaara watched the door in fear that she would return, his eyes seeming close to popping out of their sockets. _Did she… really just say that?_ He cast a glance to Neji, who was frozen in his chair. _I hate you, Temari.._

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"So, uh.. Thanks for coming over and fixing me lunch," Gaara muttered, leaning against the door and fiddling with the sleeve of his shirt. "My sister-"

"Is standing right behind you." Temari helpfully pointed out, stepping between Neji and her brother. "Neji-kunnn.. If you want to stay for dinner, I could surely make you something!" She smiled brightly, yet something in her eyes told him that if he did stay, it would be the last meal he ever ate.

"N-no thanks.." He slowly backed away from the door, nearly tripping on the first porch step. "I've got to get going.. See you later, Gaara."

Temari shut the door, whipping around to face her bristling little brother. Normally, his glare would frighten her silly, but today was different. Today, he had been thinking of doing unthinkable things!

"Kisama.."

"Now, now, Gaara.. I think we need to have a talk. As you may already now, there will come a time when boys will want to touch you…"

And so, poor Gaara's screams were heard throughout the neighborhood, waking children from their afternoon naps and causing Sasuke to cling to a teddy bear in fright (He would later say that he had been watching a "very scary movie". Sure, Sasuke).

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Neji pressed his cheek against the cool glass of his window, letting out a sigh of despair. Sunday was coming to an end, and he had been too scared to return to Gaara's house considering the events of the day before. What kind of a girl could say such things so easily?

_Poor Gaara.. I wonder what he's doing right now.._

The brunette scowled, pulling out his cell phone when an annoying 'dadadading' notified him of a new message. Text messages were so anno-

_From: Gaara_

Gaara.. was texting him? He hesitated before opening the message, nearly dropping the phone in shock upon reading the mere eleven words.

_Neji kun!_

_I LOVE YOU! I miss you soooo much! (chu)  
_

.. Chu? A **kiss?** Something was definitely wrong. Gaara wouldn't write that, would he?

Neji took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. It was coming from Gaara's number, so it _had_ to be him.. was he playing some kind of weird joke? Revenge for the homework? Or what if.. what if he really meant it.. ?

xxx

"Naruto, damnit, give me back my phone!" Gaara struggled against the blonde's restraining arm, wishing he wasn't such a puny brat.

Naruto laughed maniacally, releasing his hold on the redhead and reluctantly handing over the object in question. "Sorry, but the deed has already been done."

Gaara grit his teeth, eyes narrowing to slits. "I'll kill you.."

xxx

_DADADADING._

Gaara.. again? Neji gulped, scrolling down to read:

_Sorry, that was Naruto.._

The Hyuga's brow twitched in annoyance. Naruto would be dead in approximately 12 hours.. Yes, he'd he lying lifeless on the floor, maimed so that you could no longer recognize him as the demonic, evil blonde he once was..

Etcetera, etcetera. Reading on:

_come over at 10 if you want. Tem. won't be here, so it's ok._

Come over? At TEN? What could they possibly do that late at night, especially while his sister was gone, except for—

Gah. Nosebleed.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Gaara pulled open the door just as Neji raised his hand to ring the doorbell, looking mildly surprised. "Oh, you came after all.."

Neji pouted slightly, or as much as a Hyuga _could_ pout, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, don't you sound enthusiastic." He glanced past the shorter boy into the house, an intent to kill resonating off of him. "Naruto still here?"

"Nope. I kicked him out after siccing Temari on 'im." He smirked wickedly, pleased with the look of approval Neji gave him.

"Anyway, be quiet coming upstairs.. If we wake Kankuro, he'll be worse than my sister on a bad day." This alone was enough for Neji to make as little noise as possible, not even breathing until they were safely in Gaara's room.

"Ahh.. Why am I here, exactly?"

Gaara grinned widely, kneeling on his bed in a rather compromising position. He opened the window before glancing back at the other boy, who looked rather dazed. "Come out and I'll show you."

So, Neji followed Gaara onto the roof, pretending as though he _wasn't _deathly afraid of heights. He laid down when his pupil did the same, startled when he looked over to find Gaara staring at the heavens with wide eyes, the moonlight bathing him in an unearthly glow.

"This is my favorite place to be. Gazing at the stars, the moon.. It makes me forget about everything that's happening in the world. You told me your father died.." He closed his eyes, and when he opened them he was looking into Neji's own milky irises.

"My mother has passed as well.. not even a day after I was born, actually. I sometimes wonder what things would be like if she hadn't died.. I wonder what it's like to have a mother, someone who will care for you no matter how many wrong decisions you make or bad grades you get." He sighed and turned his head, eyes diverting to the side. "It's selfish of me, I know. I took her from my father, my siblings.. She was the core of our- their family, and because of me…" He trailed off, lips trembling slightly.

Neji reached forward, gripping Gaara's shoulder with his hand. "Gaara, it's not-" The redhead laughed sourly, facing him again, this time with tearing eyes. "Not my fault? I was unexpected, Neji.. They already had a son and a daughter, they didn't need me.. It's not like I'm going to write a revolutionary novel, or become the Emperor of Japan. Was it really necessary for her to die in order for me to live?"

"Gaara.." Neji bit his lip, unable to speak the words he wanted to say. _If Gaara was gone, who would I fall in love with? Who would make my heart hurt; my eyes sting at the thought of them being in pain? _He shifted onto his side, placing his hand against the redhead's cheek.

Gaara shut his eyes as Neji's thumb brushed away the tears threatening to fall, his heart stopping when a pair of soft lips covered his own. Neji pulled away before he could react, watching as Gaara raised his fingers to his lips and turned to look at him.

"What.."

"I'm sorry," Neji interrupted, his cheeks quickly flushing. "I shouldn't have-"

"Don't.. Don't apologize unless you didn't mean it." Gaara lowered his hand, watching Neji expectantly. When the elder took him by the shoulders and kissed him again, he returned it with fervor. The kiss was sloppy, both boys lacking experience, but it was sweet nonetheless.

They laid together the whole night, neither worrying about the past nor future, simply enjoying the present moment. Neji took the redhead's hand into his own and guided it to his heart. Unknown to Gaara, he already held it within his hands.

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 **

Phew. Sorry I didn't get a chapter out before my trip (Why the heck isn't the line working? Tsktsk).. I really suck. OTL v.v Well, anyway, I'm leaving again until Thursday, so I dunno when the next chapter will be up. The next thing I post will probably be a new fic I've been working on, so.. be patient and don't hate me.

Pleaseeeee review! Let me know if you think I'm going too fast.. I'm an impatient writer, hence why I kept nudging in those convenient time-skips.. Heh. I love making Temari so purely evil. Also: Why was Naruto at Gaara's house? Use your imagination. Why would Sasuke need to explain why he was hugging a teddy bear? Because Itachi found him when he let out a girly scream, that's why!

Lastly.. This week's chapter of Naruto and Bleach? Awesome. I can't wait until Naruto finally kicks Sasuke's sorry ass.


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